The Week That Was - Week 9

NFL Communications

It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again.

The Week That Was - Week 9

Week That Was2015RegularWeek 09English

Page Content

​​

THE WEEK THAT WAS – WEEK 9

GREAT
COMPETITION: Close contests remain a staple of the 2015 season as nine of 13 games
in Week 9 were decided by eight points or fewer. Through Week 9, the average
margin of victory is 10.28 points, which would be the lowest for a full
season since at least 1970.

​The lowest
average margin of victory since 1970:

SEASON

AVERAGE MARGIN OF VICTORY

2015

10.28*

1994

10.42

1982

10.63

1995

10.75

1978

10.76

*Through Week
9

-- NFL --

OVERTIME
EXCITEMENT: Week 9 continued the trend of close games, as three games were decided
in overtime. Fourteen games have gone to overtime this season, the second-most
through Week 9 in NFL history.

The most
overtime games through Week 9 in NFL history:

SEASON

OVERTIME GAMES THROUGH WEEK 9

1995

17

2015

14

1983

14

2003

13

2002

13

-- NFL --

THE HURRY-UP: A quick look at some other notable trends and milestones through Week
9:

LEAGUE:

Scoring
in 2015 averages 47.0 points per game, on pace to be the highest average
in the Super Bowl era (46.8 in 1948).
Teams have combined for 6,199 points this season, the third-most points
through nine weeks in NFL history. The high is 6,272 last season.

There
have been 73 individual 300-yard passing games, tied for the most
through Week 9 in NFL history (73 in 2012).

Passers
are also on pace to set NFL records with a combined 63.6 completion
percentage (62.6 in 2014), 499.2 net passing yards per game average (473.6
in 2014) and 1.88 touchdown to interception ratio (1.79 in 2014).

​The
league-wide kickoff-return average of 23.7 yards is on pace to be the
third-highest of any season in NFL history (23.8 in 2011 and 2014).

TEAMS:

The
CAROLINA PANTHERS and NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS joined the CINCINNATI
BENGALS as the only 8-0 teams in the NFL. That marks the most 8-0
teams in a season in NFL history. Carolina defeated Green Bay 37-29
and New England knocked off Washington 27-10. On Thursday night,
Cincinnati beat Cleveland 31-10.

Entering 2015, 21 teams
started a season 8-0 during the Super Bowl era. Of those 21 clubs, all 21
made the playoffs, 12 advanced to the Super Bowl and eight of those teams won
the Super Bowl.

The
CAROLINA PANTHERS and CINCINNATI BENGALS are 8-0 for the
first time in franchise history.

Five
teams – the ATLANTA FALCONS (6-3; 6-10 in 2014), NEW YORK JETS (5-3;
4-12 in 2014), OAKLAND RAIDERS (4-4; 3-13 in 2014), TAMPA BAY
BUCCANEERS (3-5; 2-14 in 2014) and TENNESSEE TITANS (2-6; 2-14
in 2014) – have already matched or surpassed their win totals from last
season.

PLAYERS:

100 BILLS: The BUFFALO BILLS defeated
the Miami Dolphins 33-17 and became the first team to have two 100-yard
rushers – running backs LE SEAN MC COY (112 rushing yards) and KARLOS
WILLIAMS (110) – and a 150-yard receiver – wide receiver SAMMY WATKINS
(168 receiving yards) – in the same game in NFL history.

Williams also had two touchdowns against Miami, becoming the seventh
player in NFL history to score a touchdown in each of his first five career
games.

-- NFL --

PROLIFIC
PITTSBURGH: The PITTSBURGH
STEELERS defeated the Oakland Raiders 38-35 and became the first team in
NFL history to have one player with at least 300 scrimmage yards and another
player with at least 200 scrimmage yards in the same game.

MARVELOUS MARIOTA: Tennessee rookie quarterback MARCUS MARIOTA passed for 371 yards
with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 135.7 passer rating, including
the game-winning five-yard touchdown pass to tight end ANTHONY FASANO in overtime of the Titans’ 34-28 win at New Orleans.
Mariota, who also passed for four touchdowns with no interceptions on Kickoff
Weekend, is the first rookie in NFL history to have two games with four
touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Mariota also
became the second player in NFL history to pass for at least 350 yards with
four touchdowns and no interceptions, including the game-winning touchdown pass
in overtime (Minnesota’s DAUNTE
CULPEPPER, October 10, 2004 vs. Houston).

-- NFL --

BIRTHDAY BRADFORD: Philadelphia quarterback SAM BRADFORD completed 25 of 36 passes
(69.4 percent) for 295 yards and threw a game-winning 41-yard touchdown to wide
receiver JORDAN MATTHEWS in overtime
to defeat the Dallas Cowboys 33-27 on Sunday
Night Football. Bradford, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Sunday, became
the first quarterback to start and win a regular-season overtime game on his
birthday in NFL history.

-- NFL --

BIG LEG:
St. Louis kicker GREG ZUERLEIN converted four field
goals against Minnesota, including a 61-yarder in the second quarter. Zuerlein,
who also kicked a 60-yard field goal in 2012, joined SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI as the only players with two 60-yard field
goals in NFL history.